1933 — Aug 23-24, Hurricane, MD (12-14), NJ (2-3), NY (2-3), PA (11), VA (16-18) –45-51
Compiled by B. Wayne Blanchard, Jan 2018; revised Jan 2020 for website: Deadliest American Disasters and Large-Loss-Of-Life Events. https://www.usdeadlyevents.com/
–45-51 Blanchard tally (see breakouts below for explanation).
–49 AP. “Storm Death Toll 49.” Daily News-Record, Harrisonburg, VA, 8-26-1933, p. 1.
— 2 Delaware
–10 Maryland
–10 New Jersey
— 2 New York
–14 Pennsylvania
–11 Virginia
–48 Middletown Times Herald, NY. “Storm Death Toll so far Numbers 48.” 8-25-1933, pp. 1-2.
— 4 District of Columbia
–11 Maryland
— 8 New Jersey
— 4 New York
–11 Pennsylvania
–10 Virginia
–47 United Press. “Forty-Seven Dead in Hurricane.” Times Herald, Olean, NY. 8-25-1933, p.1.
— 4 District of Colombia
–11 Maryland
— 8 New Jersey
— 3 New York
–11 Pennsylvania
–10 Virginia
–42 AP. “Untold Millions Damage Caused…” Morning Herald, Uniontown, PA. 8-25-1933, p1.
–34 AP. “Resort Towns of State Hit Hard by Storm.” Frederick Post, MD. 8-25-1933, p. 1.
–20 UP. “Storm Death Toll Climbs to 20.” Gastonia Daily Gazette, NC. 8-24-1933, p. 1.
–18 NWS Baltimore/Washington WFO. Hurricane History for the Washington and Baltimore Region.[1]
Summary of State Breakouts
Delaware ( 2) Unable to confirm – thus not including in tally.
District of Columbia ( 4) Unable to confirm two; two others noted in some accounts as MD.
Maryland (12-14) 14 if Crescent Limited train derailment 2 deaths were in Tuxedo, MD.
New Jersey ( 2 – 3) Have located detail concerning only two deaths.
New York ( 2 – 3) Have detail on two.
North Carolina ( 2)
Pennsylvania ( 11) Not including four canoeists thought drowned in Philadelphia.
Virginia (16-18) Several sources note 18 deaths; have located detail on 16.
Totals 45-51
Breakout of Aug 23-24, 1933 Hurricane-Related Fatalities by State and locality
Delaware ( 2)
–2 AP. “Storm Death Toll 49.” Daily News-Record, Harrisonburg, VA, 8-26-1933, p. 1.
District of Columbia ( 4)
–4 UP/Thompson. “Forty-Seven Dead in Hurricane.” Times Herald, Olean, NY. 8-25-1933, p1.
–2 Crescent Limited train derails into Anacostia River at floodwater-weakened bridge.[2]
Maryland (12-14)
–14 Blanchard tally if Crescent Limited two deaths were in Tuxedo, MD, not DC.
–13 Evening Sun, Baltimore. “State’s Storm Death Total Climbs to 13.” 8-25-1933 & 9-8-1999.
–12 Blanchard tally if two deaths from Crescent Limited derailment were on DC side of border.
–11 AP. “Resort Towns of State Hit Hard by Storm.” Frederick Post, MD. 8-25-1933, p. 1.
–11 United Press. “Forty-Seven Dead in Hurricane.” Times Herald, Olean, NY. 8-25-1933, p.1.
–10 AP. “Storm Death Toll 49.” Daily News-Record, Harrisonburg, VA, 8-26-1933, p. 1.
Breakouts by locality:
— 1 Bear Creek. Drowning; unidentified man.[3]
— 1 Bowleys Quarters, Baltimore Co. Electrocution; Reuben Orr, stepped on downed wire.[4]
— 1 Carroll County. Drowning; Walter Parrish of Oakland Mills (Howard Co.).[5]
— 2 Elkridge. Drownings; US Sergeants Downing and Balkey of Fort George G. Meade.[6]
— 1 Elkridge. Drowning; Roy Stoddard of Rawlings, NY and Baltimore, MD.[7]
— 1 Elkridge. Drowning; unidentified truck driver.[8] Same location as other Elkridge victims.[9]
— 2 Hoopers Island. Drownings; bridge tenders James Riggin and Charles Riggin swept away.[10]
— 1 Millers Island. Drowning; Mrs. Ida Patterson, while trying to flee floodwaters.[11]
— 2? Ocean City. Unconfirmed reports of drowning deaths of two boys.[12]
— 1 Ocean View. “W. Oscar Dockery was reported drowned in the surf off Ocean View.”[13]
— 1 Salisbury. Drowning in flooding after dam failure; Addison Dryden; dam foreman.[14]
— 2 Tuxedo. “…train wreck at Tuxedo…” (A. H. Bryde and J. H. Faye.)[15]
New Jersey (2-3) Have located detail concerning only two deaths.[16]
–10 AP. “Storm Death Toll 49.” Daily News-Record, Harrisonburg, VA, 8-26-1933, p. 1.
— 8 AP. “Storm Toll Heavy on New Jersey Coast.” Syracuse Herald, NY, 8-25-1933, p.5.
— 8 United Press. “Forty-Seven Dead in Hurricane.” Times Herald, Olean, NY. 8-25-1933, p.1.
— 3 Nese and Schwartz. The Philadelphia Area Weather Book. 2002, p. 142.
— 2 “High waves killed two people.” Wikipedia. “List of New Jersey hurricanes.” 9-20-2019.[17]
Breakout by identified localities:
— 1 Dumont. Vehicular “accident attributed to the wind and rain in Dumont, N.J. …”[18]
— 1 Newark. Man “killed by a live wire blown down in Newark, N.J.”[19]
New York (2-3)
–3 United Press. “Forty-Seven Dead in Hurricane.” Times Herald, Olean, NY. 8-25-1933, p.1.
–2 AP. “Storm Death Toll 49.” Daily News-Record, Harrisonburg, VA, 8-26-1933, p. 1.
–2 NY Metro-area. UP. “Storm Death Toll Climbs to 20.” Gastonia Daily Gazette, NC. 8-24-1933, p1.
–1 Esopus Creek, Ulster Co. Drowning; pontoon capsized in rescue attempt; Rev. James Healey, 51.[20]
–1 Sea Cliff, Long Island. Electrocution; Virginia Knonenberg, [unclear], 5, killed by downed wire.[21]
North Carolina ( 2)
–1 Wilmington area; drowning; W. A Dryden, construction foreman.[22]
–1 Wilmington area; crushed between boat and piling; Peter Sturgeon, 35.[23]
Pennsylvania ( 11)[24]
–14 AP. “Storm Death Toll 49.” Daily News-Record, Harrisonburg, VA, 8-26-1933, p. 1.
–12 Associated Press. “State is Hard Hit by Storm.” Titusville Herald, PA. 8-25-1933, p. 1.
–11 United Press. “Forty-Seven Dead in Hurricane.” Times Herald, Olean, NY. 8-25-1933, p.1.
–7 Central PA.
–4 Philadelphia.[25]
–11 Blanchard tally of locality breakouts. (excluding Philadelphia canoeists on Schuylkill.)
— 4 UP. “Storm Death Toll Climbs to 20.” Gastonia Daily Gazette, NC. 8-24-1933, p. 1.
Breakout by localities:
— 1 Coatesville, west of Philly. Hayes Morris, hit by “motorist driving in a heavy rain…”[26]
— 1 Ebenezer, Kiwanis Beach. Drowning, stumbled into water; Lois Griffiths, aged 2.[27]
— 1 Gettysburg area. Drowning in White Run; Mrs. Benjamin Aurndt of Altoona.[28]
— 1 Loyalsock Creek. Drowning; George Kester, 20, of Bethlehem, at Sullivan Co. CCC camp.[29]
— 1 Martinsburg, Blain County. “Charles W. Burkett, 71…hit by a car near his home.”[30]
— 1 Philadelphia. Drowning; Thomas Williams, 25, fell into Schuylkill River.[31]
— 1 Pottsville. Drowned; walked into swimming pool during storm; George Frantz, 75.[32]
— 1 Steelton. Electrocuted, downed wire at home; Andrew Kryzyzosiak [Krysoziosiak] 36.[33]
— 1 Sunbury, Northumberland County. Auto accident; David Glover, 51, of Mifflinburg.[34]
— 1 Susquehanna. Drowning; fall from bridge; Stanley Ostrum of Poughkeepsie, NY.[35]
— 1 Yoe, York County. Drowning after porch gave way; George Lemar Shenberger, 15.[36]
Virginia (16-18)
— 18 McDonald. Virginia Hurricanes: The 11 Most Deadly Storms in History (Blog). 2-26-2017.
— 18 NWS. The Hurricane History of Central and Eastern Virginia. Wakefield, VA WFO.
–<18 Roth, David and Hugh Cobb. Virginia Hurricane History. “Early Twentieth Century.”
— 18 VA Dept. of Emergency Management. History: Virginia Hurricanes. August 2016 update.
— 16 Blanchard tally of locality breakouts (provided two Willoughby drownings is accurate).
— 15 Gelber, Ben. The Pennsylvania Weather Book. 2002, p. 232.
— 11 AP. “Storm Death Toll 49.” Daily News-Record, Harrisonburg, VA, 8-26-1933, p. 1.
— 10 United Press. “Forty-Seven Dead in Hurricane.” Times Herald, Olean, NY. 8-25-1933, 1.
Breakouts
–1 Hacksneck, Accomack Co. William Cutler, 66; drowned; pinned by fallen tree in yard.[37]
–8 Norfolk-Portsmouth area. UP. “Storm Death Toll…” Gastonia…Gazette, NC. 8-24-1933, p.1.
–1 Bay Shore. Building (restaurant) collapsed. Rosa Maiden, 60.[38]
–1 Ocean View community. Drowned trying to tow boat ashore; W. Oscar Dockery.[39]
–1 Portsmouth. Drowned. Captain Laird.[40]
–1 Portsmouth. Electrocuted by downed wires. Daughter of John H. Brown, 11-years.[41]
–1 Portsmouth. Electrocuted by downed wires. Mrs. John H. Brown.[42]
–1 Portsmouth. Electrocuted by downed wires. Sam Myrick.[43]
–1 Portsmouth. Electrocuted by downed wires. Henry Ricks.[44]
–1 Portsmouth. Tree fell on truck. William Cannady.[45]
–1 Oyster, Northampton Co. Drowning; child swept from mother’s arms on home roof (Davis).[46]
–2 Willis Wharf, Hog Island Bay. Drownings; Captain Thomas Phillips and Revell Mathews.[47]
–2 Willoughby [Willoughby Spit, Norfolk?]. Two reportedly drowned; no detail.[48]
–2 Passenger liner Madison lost two crewmembers off Cape Charles, VA.[49]
Narrative Information
Weightman (Weather Bureau, DC): “August 17-26. – This disturbance originated some distance to the east of the Windward Islands. It was first located from telegraphic reports on the morning of the 18th, about 900 miles east of Puerto Rico….It moved westward until the 18th, then followed a course northwest by north until the 21st, when it was central about 150 miles southwest of Bermuda, a maximum wind velocity of 64 miles from the east being reported at St. Georges. During the next 24 hours it bore more to the westward, with somewhat decreased speed and then turned to the northwest, passing nearly over but slightly to the east of Cape Hatteras, with lowest barometer 28.67 inches and maximum wind velocity 64 m.p.h. from the northeast….
“On the morning of the 23d the center was a few miles south of Norfolk, Va., where the pressure was 28.84 inches. It passed over Norfolk with lowest pressure 28.68 inches at 9:20 a.m. and a maximum wind velocity of 56 miles, while Cape Henry had a maximum velocity of 68 m.p.h. The center was near Washington, D.C., that evening, with a pressure of 28.94 inches. It moved northward to central Pennsylvania with decreasing intensity and then turned northeastward down the St. Lawrence Valley wit further decrease in intensity.
“This was one of the most severe storms that has ever visited the Middle Atlantic coast. It caused great damage in northeastern North Carolina, central and eastern Virginia, and in Maryland, Delaware, and portions of New Jersey, due to severe gales and high tides, largely the latter. While hurricane velocities were not actually recorded at any Weather Bureau station, it seems quite probable that along the coast between Delaware Breakwater and Cape Hatteras winds may have reached the lower limits of hurricane force (75 m.p.h.) for short intervals….A tide of 7 feet above normal occurred, flooding the downtown business section of Norfolk as never before. The official in charge at Norfolk reports that plate-glass windows were broken in the business section by the wind, and states that:
Loss to shipping in this remarkably severe storm, which has been characterized as the worst ever experienced in this section, was practically negligible. The warnings were so widely disseminated that vessels stayed in port, or sought shelter if at sea, except in 1 or 2 cases.
“A great deal of damage resulted to resorts on the Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, and New Jersey coasts and also in Chesapeake Bay. Power, telephone, and telegraph services were disrupted for a time in portions of Delaware southward to Cape Charles. An extract from the report of the Weather Bureau official at Baltimore, gives details regarding the extent of the damage in the State of Maryland:
The damage to property, exclusive of crops, is estimated to be in excess of $10,000,000, and to crops about $7,000,000. Crop damage in Maryland alone, estimated by the State Experiment Service of the University of Maryland, from the reports of county agents, was as follows: Tobacco crop, more than $1,500,000 (Baltimore tobacco experts estimate $2,000,000, including stocks in warehouses); tomatoes somewhat more than $1,000,000; corn crop, including loss of fodder, more than $2,000,000. Worcester County suffered the most damage to the corn crop $300,000. The least was $6,000 in Allegany County.
The fisheries industry was injured severely, the amount being difficult to estimate but probably around $3,000,000. Many boats were destroyed and a larger number sunk and damaged, buildings and wharves were wrecked, etc. At Crisfield, Md., alone, the damage to the industry was $100,000. The damage to highways was $406,851 in Maryland and $150,000 in Delaware. Railroads suffered a property loss of about $555,000; telephone and electric companies about $1,100,000 (Naval Academy at Annapolis alone $90,000); passenger, freight, and pleasure boats and establishments about $392,000 (Maryland Yacht Club at Baltimore in excess of $60,000); miscellaneous damage to dwellings, pleasure resorts, coast towns, etc., about $2,000,000; shore land lost in Maryland by wave action (estimated by State conservation commissioner) about 2 square miles; in Delaware about 1 square mile.
(Weightman, R. Hanson (Washington DC Weather Bureau). “Tropical Disturbances of August 1933. Monthly Weather Review, August 1933, pp. 233-235.)
[Blanchard note: On page 363 of the above in “Synopsis of tropical storms of 1933,” this storm is listed as number 8, characterized as a “hurricane” which dissipated “near mouth of St. Lawrence” and was “One of worst storms in history of Middle Atlantic coast.”]
Gelber on VA: “Winds gusted to 82 miles per hour at Cape Henry, Virginia, and extensive tidal flooding occurred along the Virginia coast northward to the western shore of the Chesapeake Bay. Damages were estimated at $11 million in Virginia, and fifteen people died in the storm surge that sent waves 5 to 8 feet higher than all previous records at Newport News.” (Gelber 2002, p. 232.)
National Weather Service: “1933 August 23 This hurricane established record high tide of 9.8 feet above Mean Lower Low Water. 18 people died. Highest 1 minute wind speed in Norfolk was 70 mph, 82 mph at Cape Henry, and 88 mph at NAS, Norfolk.” (NWS. The Hurricane History of Central and Eastern Virginia. Wakefield, VA WFO.)
Nese and Schwartz: “August 23, 1933. This storm, known as the ‘Chesapeake-Potomac’ hurricane, came ashore near the North Carolina/Virginia border and moved north to near Harrisburg. In Philadelphia, about 5.6 inches of rain fell over a three-day period. In Atlantic City, east winds reached 65 mph, and 11 inches of rain fell. Three deaths were reported in New Jersey and damage was $3 million in the state.” (Nese, Jon and Glenn Schwartz. The Philadelphia Area Weather Book. 2002, pp. 141-142.)
Roth: “August 21-24, 1933 (Chesapeake-Potomac Hurricane): On the 17th, a tropical storm was discovered about 100 miles east of Puerto Rico. This system quickly strengthened into a hurricane by the 18th, as it tracked northwest (track to the right). As the cyclone neared Bermuda, a blocking high pressure ridge over New England changed the storm’s course to more westerly. The British colony of Bermuda was lashed by 80 mph winds as the center passed 100 miles to the southwest of the island.
“Rough surf conditions developed near Hampton Roads during the afternoon of the 22nd. The system made landfall near Nags Head around 3 a.m. on the 23rd. By 9 am, the center passed over Norfolk, where the pressure fell to 28.68″. Some of the lowest pressures ever measured in Virginia occurred with this hurricane. The lowest pressure of 28.68″ occurred at 9:20 a.m.
“This was the first time an eye of a hurricane had passed over Norfolk since the great hurricane of September 3, 1821. Sustained gales extended well inland over northern sections of Virginia. Maximum winds were 58 mph at Washington D.C., 70 mph at Norfolk, 82 mph at Cape Henry, and 88 mph at Norfolk Naval Air Station. Areas near the Chesapeake saw over 10 inches of rain (rainfall map below). Some areas measured eight inches of rain in one day. Washington D.C. experienced a 6.39″ deluge.
“This storm produced a record tide of 9.8 feet above mean lower low water at Sewells Point. Norfolk saw a tide of 9 feet above mean lower low water. Five feet of water flooded the city, damaging area crops.
“A six to nine foot storm surge passed up the Chesapeake Bay. A combination of the storm’s surge and back water flooding along the Potomac caused crests as high as 12 feet above mean lower low water on the river. Colonial Beach stood by helpless as four feet of water flooded the town and swept the town’s amusement park away. Water also flowed into some hotels bordering the Potomac River.
“Severe flooding occurred at Alexandria and Washington D.C. In Washington, D.C., numerous trees were uprooted and many houses unroofed. The Potomac at Alexandria reached its highest stage since the Johnstown Flood of 1889. In Alexandria, high winds played havoc with phone and power lines. High water in Four Mile Run cut off Alexandria from the Federal City. Two men were nearly doomed when the Cameron Run bridge on Telegraph Road was washed out.
“Farms in Fairfax county suffered heavy damage; fields were flooded, ruining crops. All aviation activities out of Quantico were suspended. High winds and rains flattened corn crops and damaged peach orchards in Loudon county. St. Mary’s county saw damage to corn and tobacco.
“In the Richmond area, damage was confined mainly to broken windows and downed tree limbs. In Anne Arundel county, 44 mph winds took a heavy toll on crops, leading to $250,000 in damages alone.
“Some high water marks in Alexandria included 2 feet at the Ford Motor Company Plant and 5 feet at the Old Dominion Boat Club. Flood waters completely inundated the lower end of King Street in the Old Town section of Alexandria. The Washington-Richmond highway (U.S. Route 1) was inundated to a depth of 8 feet in a few sections below Alexandria at the height of the storm. Mount Vernon Boulevard was under 5 feet of water. Flooding in the Anacostia river rose over the seawall.
“The Washington Hoover airport was inundated to a depth of three feet at the height of the storm. The Benning Bridge was under two and a half feet of water blocking vehicular traffic. Of considerable note was the landing of a pilot named J.B. Duckworth at Washington, D.C., then an Eastern Air Transport night mail flyer who flew by instruments a large way from New York, just before the storm closed down the airport. He would later become the first pilot to intentionally fly into a hurricane off the Texas coast in 1943.
“Tidal flooding from the hurricane extended up the tributaries draining into the Chesapeake Bay as well. The James River at Surry, some 40 miles from Hampton Roads reached the highest level in recorded history at 10 a.m. on the morning of August 23, 1933 as the tidal surge swept away the Surry Pier serving the Surry-Jamestown Ferry. The tidal surge moved further up the James River flooding Hopewell and portions of the city of Richmond. River levels were generally three to five feet above normal from Hopewell westward into Richmond.
“On the other side of the James River, waters were estimated to be five to eight feet higher than any previous high water mark in the city of Newport News. The York river also went on a rampage and surged into Gloucester Point at the extreme southern end of Gloucester County. The town Post Office and Drug Store were completely demolished. Four feet of water stood in the lobby of the Robbins Hotel.
“Wave action from the hurricane turned the Assateague peninsula into an island. Ocean City inlet was carved out by this cyclone. Most of what was left of the tourist industry on the Virginia barrier islands disappeared. The hotel on Cedar Island was destroyed. The clubhouses on Wallop’s, Parramore, Revel’s, Hog, Cobb’s, Mockhorn, Skidmore, and Smith’s Islands were badly damaged….and they never recovered. An inlet was formed at Ocean City that remains to this day (Assateague Naturalist). At least ten vessels met their fate in the hurricane.
“The fifty-foot schooner yacht Bluejacket put out to sea from Sandy Hook, NJ on the 20th. As the boat sailed offshore, high northeast gales developed, and the ship headed for Atlantic City. At daybreak on the 21st, while just off Chincoteague, gales increased just before a lull…the hurricane’s eye. Sixty to seventy foot waves knocked the Bluejacket around as the winds reached “terrific force” from the southwest… estimated at 100 mph. Pyramidal seas knocked down the masts and the rudder was carried away. Eventually, conditions improved and by the 24th, the S.S. M&J Tracy rescued the aimlessly drifting vessel, and the crew arrived at Newport News that night. Fewer than 18 perished in Virginia. Tens of millions of dollars of damage was incurred by the hurricane.” (Roth, David and Hugh Cobb. Virginia Hurricane History.)
VA DEM: “Aug. 23, 1933: The hurricane was born off the Cape Verde Islands and reached Category 4 strength but weakened to a Category 2 before making landfall. The storm caused record high tides up the entire west side of the Chesapeake Bay, with damages that were the highest ever recorded from a storm surge, causing 18 deaths and $79 million in damages in Virginia. Virtually the entire Tidewater area, including Virginia Beach, was paralyzed by the storm through loss of communication, electricity, water service and roads. More than 79,000 telephones were put out of commission and nearly 600 trees, many of them a century old, were uprooted in the city. The highest wind speed was 88 mph at the naval air station in Norfolk. As the storm moved north, damages in the Commonwealth were largely to crops: $2 million in corn, $2 million in tobacco, $750,000 in apples and $500,000 in other crops.” (VA DEM. History: Virginia Hurricanes. August 2016 update.)
Newspapers
Aug 22: “Hamilton, Bermuda, Aug. 22 (AP). – The hurricane southwest of Bermuda started during the night to move westward at a much faster speed than it had been traveling yesterday. Last night the storm was about 200 miles off this island and was moving very slowly. Local weather conditions continued today to improve, the wind dropping to 25 miles an hour. The hurricane swell off the island practically subsided, making it possible for ships which were hove to all yesterday to make port this morning.” (Associated Press. “Hurricane Now Moves Westward.” The Daily Mail, Hagerstown MD. 8-22-1933, p. 1.)
Aug 23: “A storm of hurricane force struck the North Carolina coast near Cape Hatteras today, smashed northward across Chesapeake Bay in Virginia, and headed up the eastern Seaboard toward Washington and New York. A 54-miles-an-hour gale was expected in New York early this evening.
“Winds ranging up to 80 miles an hour battered shipping and damaged coastal summer resorts and cities in Virginia….
“Several men on a barge towed by a dredge near Cape Henry were feared in danger after the dredge sank….
“The storm did wide damage along the coast, striking first around Southport, N.C., and moving northward to the Norfolk area, where popular summer resorts were hard hit. For a time Norfolk was virtually out of communication with the outie, but the wind subsided around noon.
Norfolk Is Wrecked
“Principal streets of Norfolk were strewn with wreckage. Willoughby Beach, a summer resort near here reported most of the homes either destroyed or badly damaged….
“At the same time, the force of the gale began to be felt in Washington, where trees, including several near the White House, were blown down and windows smashed in. The full force of the gale was due later there….” (United Press. “Hurricane Strikes N.C. – Virginia Coast…Many Vessels Radio SOS in Teeth of Gale.” The Daily Times-News, Burlington, NC, 8-23-1933, p. 1.)
Aug 23: “Norfolk, Va., Aug 23. – (AP) – The Hampton Roads area and nearby resorts was swept by the most disastrous northeast storm on record here today, forcing hundreds of persons to flee from high tides backed in by winds of hurricane force.
“Cottages at Willoughby and in some sections of Ocean View were flooded and at Virginia Beach the tide was swirling five feet deep along Atlantic avenue, the principal street. Calls were sent to the navy and the coast guard for the rescue of about 100 persons who had taken refuge in the ferry terminal at Willoughby and cottages nearby.” (Associated Press. “Hundreds Flee Tides.” The Bee, Danville, VA. 8-23-1933, p. 1.)
Aug 24: “Floods and high winds assailed the Atlantic Seaboard from North Carolina to Maine today, causing one major train wreck, wide-spread property damage and a mounting death toll that had passed 20 by midmorning.
“Two were killed when a New York-New Orleans train plunged through a flood weakened bridge near Washington and it was feared more bodies would be found when coaches were pulled from the water.
“Four canoeists were believed lost in other parts of Pennsylvania, two in the New York metropolitan area, eight in the Norfolk-Portsmouth area which bore the brunt of the tropical hurricane, and one in New England.
“The steamer City of Norfolk, 24 hours overdue at Norfolk from Baltimore, was the object of an intense sea and air search in the area hard hit by the hurricane in Virginia waters. The passenger list was 30 to 40.
“Ocean City, a summer resort of 30,000 in Maryland, was flooded and thousands of refugees were seeking safety in nearby towns. Damage was reported great, but communications with the resort were interrupted. Vast areas in Maryland and Delaware were inundated.
“A terrific southeast gale raged along the Atlantic Seaboard from Atlantic City to Boston today while the lashing tail of a tropical hurricane which yesterday created havoc in North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland and the District of Columbia, was blowing itself out in Pennsylvania.
“Property damage was reported in the millions. Ten were known to be dead, but it was feared the death toll would be much heavier when dozens of communities, now isolated, are heard from.
“Today’s gale was a new storm. It marked the fifth consecutive day of bad weather which has gripped the Atlantic Seaboard. In all at least 20 lives have been lost….
“The passenger liner Madison, battered and crippled, was convoyed into Norfolk by coast guard cutters early today. She lost two of her crew in riding out the hurricane which caught her in its vortex off Cape Charles, Ba. The ship flashed two S O S calls for assistance.
“At Cheverly, Md., three cars of a New York-New Orleans train were reported to have turned over in flood waters, drowning three passengers. This report was not at once verified.
“Two were killed in the New York metropolitan area which today was held in the teeth of a 60-mile gale.
“Floods threatened low-lying sections of Washington, but the hurricane’s damage there was small compared with havoc wrought in Maryland and Virginia resorts. Hundreds were marooned on roof tops. Daring rescues were numerous. Thousands were homeless.
“One-third of the City of Norfolk was under water. Marines and coast guardsmen assisted police in preventing looting of wrecked homes, but thievery was reported in Norfolk suburbs.
“The hurricane diminished in intensity passing over the Virginia Capes and the District of Columbia and today it was moving northward along the Susquehanna Valley in Pennsylvania, reduced to a point where no further harm was feared. Property damage in southern Pennsylvania was heavy with low-lands and highways flooded. A death list was feared when submerged automobiles and wrecked homes were searched.
“The heaviest property damage was to crops. Many districts reported farmers had suffered complete losses. Highways, bulkheads, seawalls, and ocean-side cottages from Long Island south to North Carolina were either destroyed or damaged.
“Shipping was paralyzed, and three sea-going barges were sunk, although their crews were rescued. Thousands of small vessels, tied up in harbors and inlets, were swamped and sunk.
“Today’s southeast gale was believed to have resulted from the clash of the hurricane and a northeaster which has blown along the North Atlantic coast since Sunday. The hurricane advanced for two days northwestward between the Bahamas and the American coast, then shifted a little more to northwest and struck the North Carolina coast Tuesday night…. [p. 1.]
“Between 15 and 20 horses, pulling milk wagons and drays, were electrocuted by high tension wires, but their drivers were not injured.” [p. 7.] (United Press. “Storm Death Toll Climbs to 20.” Gastonia Daily Gazette, NC. 8-24-1933, pp. 1 and 7.)
Aug 24: “Washington, Aug. 24. – (UP) – A speeding Pennsylvania railroad passenger train plunged through a flood-weakened bridge near here early today. The engineer and fireman were killed and 13 persons injured, two seriously….
“The engine crashed at 3:45 a.m., from a bridge into the flooded mud flats of the eastern branch of the Potomac river. A mail car turned over on the right of way beyond the bridge. A second mail car and two Pullmans toppled into the swollen stream. Five other Pullmans turned over beside the right of way. Only one of the 10 cars remained upright.
“Ambulances brought injured to Washington, and a relief train picked up passengers of the ill-fated limited which left New York last night bound for southern points.
“Wreck crews struggle to penetrate the engine cab, buried in the mud, to recover the bodies of Engineer Arthur H. Bryde and Fireman A. H. Fay…” (United Press. “Crescent Limited Wrecked, Two Killed. Ten Cars Plunge in River Mud.” Gastonia Daily Gazette, NC, 8-24-1933, p. 1.)
Aug 25: “A known death toll of forty-seven and property damage estimated at $15,000,000 was caused by a hurricane which swept up the Atlantic from the tropics, cut a path across six states, and today had diminished into a low pressure area in Canada above Lake Ontario.
“A United Press survey placed the dead: Virginia, ten; New Jersey, eight; Pennsylvania, eleven; Maryland, eleven; New York, three; District of Columbia, four.
“More than a score of small communities, principally along the Maryland and Virginia shores, still were isolated and it was feared the death list would mount when communications are restored. Streets in Norfolk, Washington, and Philadelphia were flooded. Thousands of acres of low land in all six states were under water. Highways were ruined and crop damage will mount into millions.
“Norfolk, worst hit of the cities in the hurricane’s path, put 350 men to work today to clear debris from the streets. Telephone linesmen were at work restoring lines to neighboring beach resorts, many of which were ruined.
“Tugs rescued about forty passengers of the Chesapeake Bay line ship, City of Norfolk, which went aground at Poconoke Sound, fifty miles from Norfolk, during the hurricane.
“North-south railroad traffic, disrupted by floods and the wreck of the crack Crescent Limited which plunged through a bridge near Washington, was restored The Crescent’s engine crew of two was killed and thirteen passengers were injured.
“Floods had not yet receded in North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, and Pennsylvania. The hurricane had diminished greatly in intensity when it passed over the Catskill region of New York state and the principle damage was the floods caused by heavy rains. It was still powerful enough to kick up a heavy sea in Lake Ontario.
“The Maryland death toll stood at eleven and an aerial survey indicated traffic damage but not serious distress. Restoration of communication with Salisbury established that only one was killed when a dam broke, flooding the city….
“The Pennsylvania dead included seven in the central part of the state, and four in Philadelphia. Most of the New Jersey dead was [sic] in the Atlantic City region where heavy seas wrecked bulkheads, docks, and seashore cottages.” (United Press. “Forty-Seven Dead in Hurricane.” Times Herald, Olean, NY. 8-25-1933, p. 1.)
Sources
Altoona Mirror, PA. “Central Pa. Hard Hit.” 8-25-1933, p. 1. Accessed 1-26-2020 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/altoona-mirror-aug-25-1933-p-2/
Associated Press. “Damage from Storm in Millions,” The Daily Mail, Hagerstown, MD, 8-24-1933, p. 1. Accessed 1-26-2020: https://newspaperarchive.com/hagerstown-daily-mail-aug-24-1933-p-1/
Associated Press. “Death and Ruin in Wake of Storm in Pennsylvania.” The Evening Sun, Hanover, PA, 8-25-1933, p. 10. Accessed 1-27-2020 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/hanover-evening-sun-aug-25-1933-p-10/
Associated Press. “Fatalities of Storm in State.” The Daily Mail, Hagerstown, MD. 8-25-1933, p. 2. Accessed 1-26-2020: https://newspaperarchive.com/hagerstown-daily-mail-aug-25-1933-p-2/
Associated Press. “Hundreds Flee Tides.” The Bee, Danville, VA. 8-23-1933, p. 1. Accessed 1-27-2020 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/danville-bee-aug-23-1933-p-1/
Associated Press. “Hurricane Now Moves Westward.” The Daily Mail, Hagerstown MD. 8-22-1933, p. 1. Accessed 1-26-2020: https://newspaperarchive.com/hagerstown-daily-mail-aug-22-1933-p-1/
Associated Press. “Resort Towns of State Hit Hard by Storm.” Frederick Post, MD. 8-25-1933, p. 1. Accessed 1-26-2020: https://newspaperarchive.com/frederick-news-post-aug-25-1933-p-1/
Associated Press. “State is Hard Hit by Storm.” Titusville Herald, PA. 8-25-1933, p. 1. Accessed 1-26-2020 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/titusville-herald-aug-25-1933-p-1/
Associated Press. “Storm Death Toll 49; Eastern Shore of Va. Devastated.” Daily News-Record, Harrisonburg, VA, 8-26-1933, p. 1. Accessed 1-27-2020 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/harrisonburg-daily-news-record-aug-26-1933-p-1/
Associated Press. “Storm Toll Heavy on New Jersey Coast.” Syracuse Herald, NY, 8-25-1933, p. 5. Accessed 1-26-2020 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/syracuse-herald-aug-25-1933-p-5/
Associated Press. “Untold Millions Damage Caused by Raging Winds Along Entire Seaboard.” Morning Herald, Uniontown, PA. 8-25-1933, p. 1. Accessed 1-26-2020 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/uniontown-morning-herald-aug-25-1933-p-2/
Blake, Eric S., Jerry D. Jarrell, Edward N. Rappaport and Christopher W. Landsea. The Deadliest, Costliest, and Most Intense United States Tropical Cyclones From 1851 to 2004 (and other frequently requested hurricane facts). NOAA Technical Memorandum NWS TPC-4. Miami, FL: National Hurricane Center, Tropical Prediction Center, National Weather Service, NOAA. August 2005 update. Accessed 1-27-2020 at: http://www.4sarasotahomes.com/images/Hurricanes/The%20Deadliest,%20Costliest,%20and%20Most%20Intense%20United%20States%20Tropical%20Cyclones%20From%201851%20to%202004.htm
Daily News-Record, Harrisburg, VA. “Death in Maryland,” 8-25-1933, p. 10. Accessed 1-27-2020 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/harrisonburg-daily-news-record-aug-25-1933-p-10/
Daily News-Record, Harrisonburg, VA. “VA. Beach Badly Wrecked; Damage Heavy at Norfolk,” 8-24-1933, p. 2. Accessed 1-27-2020 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/harrisonburg-daily-news-record-aug-24-1933-p-2/
Evening Sun, Baltimore. “State’s Storm Death Total Climbs to 13.” 8-25-1933. Reposted 9-8-1999 at: https://www.baltimoresun.com/bal-1933hurricanetext2sep08-story.html
McDonald, Geoff. Virginia Hurricanes: The 11 Most Deadly Storms in History (Blog). 2-26-2017. Accessed 1-5-2018 at: https://www.mcdonaldinjurylaw.com/blog/2016/02/virginia-hurricanes/
Middletown Times Herald, NY. “Boys Escape Upset Canoe in Delaware…four Others Missing.” 8-24-1933, p. 10. Accessed 1-27-2020 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/middletown-times-herald-aug-24-1933-p-10/
Middletown Times Herald, NY. “Norfolk Dead Number 6 in Storm’s Wake.” 8-24-1933, p. 10. Accessed 1-27-2020: https://newspaperarchive.com/middletown-times-herald-aug-24-1933-p-10/
Middletown Times Herald, NY. “Passengers Wear Chains During Gale (continued from Page One).” 8-24-1933, p. 10. Accessed 1-27-2020 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/middletown-times-herald-aug-24-1933-p-10/
Middletown Times Herald, NY. “Storm Death Toll so far Numbers 48.” 8-25-1933, pp. 1-2. Accessed 1-26-2020: https://newspaperarchive.com/middletown-times-herald-aug-25-1933-p-1/
Middletown Times Herald, NY. “Two More Dead.” 8-25-1933, p. 2. Accessed 1-26-2020 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/middletown-times-herald-aug-25-1933-p-2/
National Weather Service, Baltimore/Washington Weather Forecast Office. Hurricane History for the Washington and Baltimore Region. 5-25-2012 update. Accessed 1-28-2020 at: https://www.weather.gov/lwx/hurricane_history
National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office, Wakefield, VA. The Hurricane History of Central and Eastern Virginia. Accessed 1-5-2018 at: http://www.erh.noaa.gov/er/akq/adobe_pdf/Hurrhist.pdf
Nese, Jon and Glenn Schwartz. The Philadelphia Area Weather Book, including Delaware, the Poconos, and the Jersey Shore. Philadelphia: Temple University Press, 2002.
Roth, David and Hugh Cobb. Virginia Hurricane History. “Early Twentieth History.” Accessed 1-5-2018 at: http://www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/research/roth/vaerly20hur.htm
United Press. “6 Dead at Norfolk.” Chester Times, PA. 8-24-1933, p. 1. Accessed 1-27-2020 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/chester-times-aug-24-1933-p-1/
United Press. “Crescent Limited Wrecked, Two Killed. Ten Cars Plunge in River Mud.” Gastonia Daily Gazette, NC, 8-24-1933, p. 1. Accessed 1-26-2020 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/gastonia-daily-gazette-aug-24-1933-p-1/
United Press. “Deaths Total 47, Loss Millions as Storm Subsides.” Syracuse Herald, NY, 8-25-1933, p. 1. Accessed 1-26-2020 at: https://newspaperarchive.com
United Press. “Forty-Seven Dead in Hurricane.” Times Herald, Olean, NY. 8-25-1933, p. 1. Accessed 1-26-2020 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/times-evening-herald-aug-25-1933-p-1/
United Press. “Hurricane Strikes N.C. – Virginia Coast…Many Vessels Radio SOS in Teeth of Gale.” The Daily Times-News, Burlington, NC, 8-23-1933, p. 1. Accessed 1-26-2020 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/burlington-daily-times-news-aug-23-1933-p-1/
United Press. “Storm Death Toll Climbs to 20.” Gastonia Daily Gazette, NC. 8-24-1933, p. 1. Accessed 1-26-2020 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/gastonia-daily-gazette-aug-24-1933-p-1/
Virginia Department of Emergency Management. History: Virginia Hurricanes. August 2016 update. Accessed 1-5-2018 at: http://www.vaemergency.gov/news-local/hurricane-history/
Weightman, R. Hanson (Washington DC Weather Bureau). “Tropical Disturbances of August 1933. Monthly Weather Review, August 1933, pp. 233-235. Accessed 1-27-2020 at: https://www.aoml.noaa.gov/hrd/hurdat/mwr_pdf/1933.pdf
Wikipedia. “Amtrak Railroad Anacostia Bridge.” 1-30-2018 edit. Accessed 1-26-2020 at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amtrak_Railroad_Anacostia_Bridge
Wikipedia. “List of New Jersey hurricanes.” 9-20-2019 edit. Accessed 1-27-2020 at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_New_Jersey_hurricanes#1900%E2%80%931949
York Daily Record. “‘Picture Memories’ booklet: York County Flood of 1933 worst on record up to that point.” 4-6-2009. Accessed 1-26-2020 at: https://www.ydr.com/story/news/history/blogs/york-town-square/2009/04/06/1933flood/31620947/
[1] “1933 August 23-24 Chesapeake Bay Hurricane….This storm caused a total of 18 deaths…”
[2] United Press. “Crescent Limited Wrecked, Two Killed. Ten Cars Plunge in River Mud.” Gastonia Daily Gazette, NC, 8-24-1933, p. 1. Killed were Engineer Arthur A. Bryde of Washington, DC, and Fireman A. H. Fay, of Havre de Grace, MD. Also: Wikipedia. “Amtrak Railroad Anacostia Bridge.” 1-30-2018 edit.
[3] Associated Press. “Fatalities of Storm in State.” The Daily Mail, Hagerstown, MD. 8-25-1933, p. 2; also: Evening Sun, Baltimore. “State’s Storm Death Total Climbs to 13.” 8-25-1933; reposted 9-8-1999.
[4] Evening Sun, Baltimore. “State’s Storm Death Total Climbs to 13.” 8-25-1933; reposted 9-8-1999.
[5] Associated Press. “Fatalities of Storm in State.” The Daily Mail, Hagerstown, MD. 8-25-1933, p. 2; also, Daily News-Record, Harrisburg, VA. “Death in Maryland,” 8-25-1933, p. 10. Carroll County borders Howard County to the northwest.
[6] Associated Press. “Fatalities of Storm in State.” The Daily Mail, Hagerstown, MD. 8-25-1933, p. 2. Swept off Patapsco River bridge on Washington Boulevard. (Evening Sun, Baltimore. “State’s Storm Death Total Climbs to 13.” 8-25-1933; reposted 9-8-1999.) The soldiers were of the Sixty-Sixth Infantry. (Daily News-Record, Harrisburg, VA. “Death in Maryland,” 8-25-1933, p. 10.)
[7] Associated Press. “Fatalities of Storm in State.” The Daily Mail, Hagerstown, MD. 8-25-1933, p. 2. Swept off Patapsco River bridge.
[8] Associated Press. “Fatalities of Storm in State.” The Daily Mail, Hagerstown, MD. 8-25-1933, p. 2.
[9] Evening Sun, Baltimore. “State’s Storm Death Total Climbs to 13.” 8-25-1933; reposted 9-8-1999
[10] Evening Sun, Baltimore. “State’s Storm Death Total Climbs to 13.” 8-25-1933; reposted 9-8-1999.
[11] Evening Sun, Baltimore. “State’s Storm Death Total Climbs to 13.” 8-25-1933; reposted 9-8-1999.
[12] Evening Sun, Baltimore. “State’s Storm Death Total Climbs to 13.” 8-25-1933; reposted 9-8-1999
[13] Middletown Times Herald, NY. “Norfolk Dead Number 6 in Storm’s Wake.” 8-24-1933, p. 10.
[14] Associated Press. “Resort Towns of State Hit Hard by Storm.” Frederick Post, MD. 8-25-1933, p. 1.
[15] Yellow highlight to denote we do not include in MD, but rather in DC, where other reporting has placed the derailment on bridge over Anacostia River. Our understanding of location, as well as attempts to place the railroad crossing over the river from MD to DC has the crossing within DC border.
[16] We have located detail on only two deaths, which form the low-end of our range. We use three deaths noted by Nese and Schwartz for the high-end of our range. The remaining sources citing fatalities of eight or ten appear to us to include deaths from a storm system along the NJ coast prior to the arrival of hurricane-related winds and waves.
[17] Cites two sources. The first is attributed to Chris Landsea, et al. Documentation of Atlantic Tropical Cyclones Changes in HURDAT (1933), May 2012. We followed the link, read document and found no reference to fatalities at all. At best the footnote (#19) should have been placed at end of preceding sentence. The second citation is to an Associated Press article dated August 22, in The Leader-Post, Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada, 8-22-1933, p. 1. The AP article notes: “Two more were added to the list of dead. Harold Lichten, 40, of Germantown, Pa., drowned when a pleasure boat capsized Sunday [Aug 20] in Longport Inlet, N.J.” Goes on to write that additionally, “Dr. Charles McArthur, 57, well-known physician and amateur artist, who formerly lived in Swift Current, Sask., was torn by the waves from the deck of a fishing boat off Beaconhaven Inlet, N.J., and drowned.” [Blanchard note: These deaths, as well as several others on the NJ coast, were not attributable to the Aug 23-24 hurricane, but rather to a storm system along the coast which preceded the arrival of the hurricane.]
[18] Middletown Times Herald, NY. “Passengers Wear Chains During Gale (cont. from Page One).” 8-24-1933, p. 10.
[19] Middletown Times Herald, NY. “Passengers Wear Chains During Gale (cont. from Page One).” 8-24-1933, p. 10.
[20] United Press. “Deaths Total 47, Loss Millions as Storm Subsides.” Syracuse Herald, NY, 8-25-1933, p. 1.
[21] Middletown Times Herald, NY. “Child Killed by Wire.” 8-24-1933, p. 10. Notes wire blew down during storm.
[22] Middletown Times Herald, NY. “Two More Dead.” 8-25-1933, p. 2.
[23] Middletown Times Herald, NY. “Two More Dead.” 8-25-1933, p. 2.
[24] Does not include unconfirmed reporting of drowning deaths of four canoeists on Schuylkill River in Philadelphia.
[25] This note of four Philadelphia deaths might be a reference to the following: “Philadelphia – Four canoeists, who attempted to ride the Schuylkill river during the storm today, are believed to have lost their lives while trying to pass beneath the Grand avenue bridge. From the river banks the youths in two canoes were seen streaking down the swift current towards the bridge. A few moments later they disappeared under the structure and when the canoes appeared at the lower side, they were floating upside down. Grappling crews were summoned, but after hours of effort none of the bodies was recovered.” (Middletown Times Herald, NY. “Boys Escape Upset Canoe in Delaware…Four Others Missing.” 8-24-1933, p. 10.)
[26] Associated Press. “Damage from Storm in Millions,” The Daily Mail, Hagerstown, MD, 8-24-1933, p. 1; AP. “Death and Ruin in Wake of Storm in Pennsylvania.” The Evening Sun, Hanover, PA, 8-25-1933, p. 10.
[27] AP. “Death and Ruin in Wake of Storm in Pennsylvania.” The Evening Sun, Hanover, PA, 8-25-1933, p. 10; Altoona Mirror, PA. “Central Pa. Hard Hit.” 8-25-1933, p. 1.
[28] United Press. “Storm Death Toll Climbs to 20.” Gastonia Daily Gazette, NC. 8-24-1933, p. 7. More detailed account the next day writes: “Mrs. Benjamin Aurandt, 65, Altoona, was swept into White Run, near Gettysburg, with her son-in-law as he was carrying her across a bridge and drowned.” (AP. “Death and Ruin in Wake of Storm in Pennsylvania.” The Evening Sun, Hanover, PA, 8-25-1933, p. 10.)
[29] AP. “Death and Ruin in Wake of Storm in Pennsylvania.” The Evening Sun, Hanover, PA, 8-25-1933, p. 10; Altoona Mirror, PA. “Central Pa. Hard Hit.” 8-25-1933, p. 1.
[30] AP. “Death and Ruin in Wake of Storm in Pennsylvania.” The Evening Sun, Hanover, PA, 8-25-1933, p. 10.
[31] AP. “Death and Ruin in Wake of Storm in Pennsylvania.” The Evening Sun, Hanover, PA, 8-25-1933, p. 10.
[32] United Press. “Storm Death Toll Climbs to 20.” Gastonia Daily Gazette, NC. 8-24-1933, p. 7. Another account writes that the victim “walking up hill against the rain apparently suffered a heart attack, and fell into a swimming pool.” (AP. “Death and Ruin in Wake of Storm in [PA].” The Evening Sun, Hanover, PA, 8-25-1933, p. 10.)
[33] AP. “Death and Ruin in Wake of Storm in Pennsylvania.” The Evening Sun, Hanover, PA, 8-25-1933, p. 10.
[34] AP. “Death and Ruin in Wake of Storm in Pennsylvania.” The Evening Sun, Hanover, PA, 8-25-1933, p. 10.)
[35] Altoona Mirror, PA. “Central Pa. Hard Hit.” 8-25-1933, p. 1. It was reported that Mr. Ostrum was working on the bridge. (AP. “Death and Ruin in Wake of Storm in Pennsylvania.” The Evening Sun, Hanover, PA, 8-25-1933, p.10.)
[36] York Daily Record. “‘Picture Memories’ booklet: York County Flood of 1933 worst on record…point.” 4-6-2009.
[37] AP. “Eastern Shore of Va. Suffers Heavy Damage.” Daily News-Record, Harrisonburg, VA, 8-26-1933, p. 1.
[38] United Press. “Storm Death Toll Climbs to 20.” Gastonia Daily Gazette, NC. 8-24-1933, p. 7.
[39] United Press. “Storm Death Toll Climbs to 20.” Gastonia Daily Gazette, NC. 8-24-1933, p. 7; also, Daily News-Record, Harrisonburg, VA. “VA. Beach Badly Wrecked; Damage Heavy at Norfolk,” 8-24-1933, p. 2.
[40] United Press. “Storm Death Toll Climbs to 20.” Gastonia Daily Gazette, NC. 8-24-1933, p. 7.
[41] United Press. “Storm Death Toll Climbs to 20.” Gastonia Daily Gazette, NC. 8-24-1933, p. 7.
[42] United Press. “Storm Death Toll Climbs to 20.” Gastonia Daily Gazette, NC. 8-24-1933, p. 7.
[43] United Press. “Storm Death Toll Climbs to 20.” Gastonia Daily Gazette, NC. 8-24-1933, p. 7.
[44] United Press. “Storm Death Toll Climbs to 20.” Gastonia Daily Gazette, NC. 8-24-1933, p. 7.
[45] United Press. “Storm Death Toll Climbs to 20.” Gastonia Daily Gazette, NC. 8-24-1933, p. 7.
[46] Name of gender of two-year-old child of Mrs. Jessie Davis not noted. (AP. “Eastern Shore of Va. Suffers Heavy Damage.” Daily News-Record, Harrisonburg, VA, 8-26-1933, p. 1.)
[47] “…drowned in their watch house on a marsh in Hog Island Bay.” (AP. “Eastern Shore of Va. Suffers Heavy Damage.” Daily News-Record, Harrisonburg, VA, 8-26-1933, p. 1.)
[48] United Press. “6 Dead at Norfolk.” Chester Times, PA. 8-24-1933, p. 1.
[49] Second Mate Lycizgun Lawrence and Quartermaster Edward Corbett, both of NYC, were swept overboard. United Press. “Storm Death Toll Climbs to 20.” Gastonia Daily Gazette, NC. 8-24-1933, pp. 1 and 7.